Creative writing workshop with Helena Dahlgren – lesson 6
Welcome back to Helena Dahlgren’s journey through creative writing! The author of the Soul Riders trilogy is back for part six of her writing workshop, helping you unlock a range of secrets, tricks and tips so that you can level up your creative writing skills!
Lesson 6: Sensational Senses! Part five – touch
When I wrote Jorvik Calling, I quickly found out that touch played an important part in Lisa’s discovery of magical Jorvik, as well as her new relationship to Starshine. I swear I could FEEL Starshine nuzzling Lisa’s cold hand when I wrote the sentence “Starshine nuzzled Lisa’s cold hand” for the Light Ride scene, because anyone who’s ever felt a horse’s soft muzzle against a cold hand knows that feeling. Touch is intimate, touch is deeply personal. Today, I want you to go beyond sight and get all tactile on me!
EXERCISE: You are standing in a pitch-black room, trying to find the light switch. You can’t see a thing, so you need to use your hands to feel your way forward. Fumbling, stretching your arms in front of you, you grab hold of something. But it isn’t the light switch. No, it’s something completely different. What does it feel like? What could it be? Write a little story about it!
BONUS EXERCISE: It might be fun if this little tale had a twist in the end!
As we sat in the darkened room, we thought to ourselves, “we probably won’t do this writing exercise.” PLOT TWIST! We’re totally doing it and can’t wait to get started!
What’s your plot twist going to look like? We’re looking forward to reading your creative ideas.
Helena’s next lesson has Lisa and letter-writing in focus. Don’t miss it! If you want to go back, click here to return to lesson 5.